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Turtles Are Always Home (Sokun Al Solhufat)

New Voices in Cinema

Rawane Nassif / Short Experimental / Qatar, Lebanon, Canada / 2016 / 13 min / DCPInterests: ArthouseMENA PremiereRated: Parental guidance is advised for viewers under the age of 13. Individuals under the age of 13 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or older.

Synopsis

Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker
Rawane Nassif considers the feelings of displacement and otherness that come with being an expat – a situation that gives rise to a contradictory sensation of transient belonging. Her exploration of a residential complex that is still under construction allows the artist to reflect on what it means to live in a fragmented series of places one calls “home” – and to recognise the difference between a home for one’s heart and a home for one’s feet.

About the Director

Born in Beirut in 1983, Rawane Nassif is a Lebanese/Canadian filmmaker and anthropologist. She has a BFA in Filmmaking from the Université Saint Joseph in Lebanon and an MA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Alberta in Canada. Her work addresses space, identity, displacement and memory and spans different formats such as films, children's books, oral history projects and publications.

What an amazing week of cinema and inspiration. Together we celebrated the power of cinema and the filmmakers who brought us resonating stories and memorable characters. Thank you to everyone who joined us at #ajyal18 and see you next year at #ajyal19!

This sixth edition of our Ajyal Film Festival showcased 14 DFI-supported films (via our Qatari Film Fund, grants and co-financing programmes). Thousands of viewers got to discover why these films are worthy of support and are a testament to their visionary filmmakers. #ajyal18

Arab cinema has a strong presence at #ajyal18, not just with features but also with endearing short films that struck a chord with the audience. Iraqi director Muslim Habeeb's AS MY FATHER WAS is one of them.